NEW TIME TABLE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 677, 30 November 1909, Page 8

NEW TIME TABLE.

f , EFFECT ON WAIRARAPA. DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. • ;AN TJITFAVOTTBABLE REPLY. A representative deputation waited on the Minister for Railways (the Hon. J. A. Millar) last evening, in connection with the new rail- , way time-table. The deputation comprised: Messrs. W. C. Buchanan and A. W. Hogg, .M.P.'s, C. E. Daniell (chairman of the Mastorton Chamber of Commerce),/Moody (Masterton Chamber of Commeree), E. Page (Mayor of Ekotahnna), Loasby (Mayor of Greytown), W. Frendoville (chairman • of the , Eketahuna Chamber of Commerce), T. Moss (chairman of the Eketahuna County Council), W. Gray (clerk to the Morrinsville County Council), and Fairbrother (Carterton Chamber of Commerce), Mr. Hogg, MJ?., said the new tiifte-table had in Eome respects given satisfaction, tat in others it-would be inconvenient to farmers, those attending the high schools, and others. The deputation was the result of a largelyattended meeting held at Masterton, which had passed important resolutions. -..-, Mt. Millar said that he knew about the meeting, and he had the opinion of the South Wairarepa also. '■.. r '_, Mr. .'Moody,' chairman of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce, said the deputation represented the farming and commercial interests of the Wairarapa and Forty, Mile Bush. The new time-table had considerably alarmed them from a commercial and , pastoral point of view. '-,•'. •" . . : . :' ■ Case for the i Deputation. ■ ; "Mr. :. E.; Page, Mayor of : Eketahuna, explained that representatives of the South Wairarapa were present. The deputation asked that the train which under-the new time-table left Wellington at .4 o'clock and reached Masterton at 8 should be continued to Eketahuna, instead of staying at Masterton. In the morning tho train: would then leave Eketahuna abont 7 a.m., and llasterton about 8 a;m. Under ■ the hew time-table it would take three days to come into Wellington from the Eketahnna , district, do a, little business, and 'return. It might be said that the same disability' existed under, the old time-table; it did exist, but not to. the same extent, because there was a later train in the'afternoon and an earlier morning train; The number of trains' per day .north and south 'between Eketahuna and Mastertbnv would.be reduced from: twelve to six under the hew.time-table.:-Two of,the twelve .were taken off a little time, ago. It was satiafactory that a time-table": had been devised to establish communication between the two coasts, but someofithe alterations .to the service were .rather, drastic. Masterton was a large centre, (and a. considerable number of pupils residing ffarther north as .far as Pahiatua would not be able to get to Masterton to attend the secondary and. other, schools till: 12.15. . .That meant that they, would not be , able to .live, at home and . attend , . the , schools, and many of them would probably.leave the i schools. If the proposalof the deputation',was adopted these pupils would be able to get to sohool -.. soon after i 8:: o'clock. ': ..The • return rot the children : was satisfactorily; provided for already..- This alteration of the 'time-table would not affeot any of'tho' connections-be-tween the two coasts nor mean putting on any new trains, nor increasing the .staff. It.would enable ■Eketahuna' people to go to Wellington to do their.business and return the 6amo day, ■which was a reasonable request, as the distance was only. 89 'miles. . The dairy district north of Masterton, sent down a considerable; quantity of: produce, :and fanners: had- to go down• to Masterton in connection with-this. Under the now time-table litigants and. others attending the Masterton', Courts , from the■".■ north would have to. get to Masterton the day..before: The deputation-also asked that the afternoon train from Wellington to' Masterton should be continued , in the interests of business " people 'and also : .of..' the-, school children. The meeting before referred to had expressed appreciation of the efforts'made by the Department! to:,, get over-a very, difficult problem,but it was felt that by the mail train being in epeed Masterton had been made to, suffer for .the engineering, difficulties , ' of'tho Rimutakas. .fie:suggested that the.proposals now made should be tried, and if they were not found to pay a further reduction could be made, i ' - ■:-,v .-..'. ■'.- ■• :\ \l:H'.i! u-i ■-.--■ ..'J 1 ;- , . , ■ ■-.. .. ■ ' Further Protests.,...;,: ■,■•■'..-.. C. E. Daniell .(Mastertohi'Chamber' of Commerce) congratulated' the.lMinistcr' on his apparently successful' effort to,' meet the-wants of .the.rLojv.er. Wairarapa, 'but .suggested that the succesSiof this object had. been obtained at the expense of Masterton- and■!district. They had expected to jlose the mail-train; but in the interests of the' Railway Department • and, the commerce' and produce of the district the Department should reconsider the; decision- .to abolish the affernoon train.'..They, protested very vigorously against the system by which the evening train did all the traffic along the Lower Valley before running on :as a passenger, train through the Wairarapa to Masterton. (The Department should also:do away with the stop at Kaitbke and let passengers have their cup. of tea during ,the changing of engines. Under the 'new time-table, Palmerstoh would get 50. trains for Masterton's six, though' the populations of the two centres with their surrounding districts were not greatly disproportionate. The railway returns showed that the Wairarapa trains had returned • axle grease.* ' ■ ■■;■ i ■:. ;V /■. ..... Mr..Millar: They bare done k>. /I'll show you what they are doing n0w.,. ; .'.-'"■• Mr. Daniell: stated, that the receipts from the station's from Pahiatua to Feathcrstonhad increased 40 per cent, in eight years.'. " . "

Needs of South Wairarapa. Mr. Loasby (Mayor of Greytown) urged 'the necessity of continuing the early 'morning train from the point of view of South Wairarapa At Greytown there waa an excellent high' school, which drew pupils from Kaitoke to Woodvillo. If the first train reached Greytown at 1L45 aon most of those children would lose the privilege of the school Next year they expected a considerable increase of attendance, and it was understood that :the Education Board was going to reorganise its system so as to ■ make these high schools rural schools It was also necessary to have the train arriving in tho morning to get the return empties sent to town with produce on the preceding evening. '' Inconvenience with ,Maila. Mr. W. Prendevillo (chairman of the Eketahuna .Chamber of Commerce) referred to. the. inconvenience with regard to mails that would arise under the new time-table. Only two hours would be allowed at.Mastorton for business people to answer their letters the same day, and at Eketahuna practically no time would be allowed. Mr. W. Gray urged that .the morn ing train from WoodyiUe should be continued, or, if anything; made a. little earlier.. \ Some of the trains might start from Pahiatua or Eketahunai instead of'.fiom Woodvillo, which had tie benefit of the other line as.well; Mr. Fairbrother (Carterton Chamber of Commerce) f>aid that ai« district would not be eo much injured by the service apart from its effect on the school ohildron. bnt, the dißcontinuance of the 4.15 pjn. mail train from, Wellington, and its return would bo a great inconvenience. Mr.. T. 'Mobs (chairman of tho Eketahuna County Council) said that the moining train starting from Eketahuna would -benefit a big distript u It .was pointed out that oombined stock yardinga were to be established at Solway, and farmers required to get thero to that they could inspect the stock before the eaies began at noon Some Further Arguments. Mr. W. C. Buchanan. M.P., said that no part of .the Dominion was so important to the railwaye in carrying block as the Wairarapal With the :W«stinghouse brake and the-pro-vision of heavier rails for the whole of the' lines/ho thought th 6 speed could be quickened np "Where tho lunnmg was easy it would mean no further etpense to "speed up" the railway verv considerably It would be a great boon if the time was extended during which brisrness men from tho Wairarapa could remain in Wellington Mr. Hogg, M.P., said he attached the greatest importance to the extension of the Wellington, trniu through to Eketahuna, leaving Eketahuna in 'the morning and returning' thore at night. , A very largo district would bo benefited by this service They-did not know to what extent; tho trnffio ■ would be developed if tho, three days necosfary for doing business in tho city woro reduced to one.

: ■: Minister in-Reply, a; ' ; The-Minister, in replying, said ho fnlly recbzrrißetl tho impoi'fcinco of tho AVnirarapa district, and the important link it had been-in the railway system of Now Zealand. The opening of, tho Main Trunk line, and taking ovbr of the Manawata line, however/had completely altorcd that s/stom, with> tbo result that tho Department hnd hod to readjust thetimc-'tablee-Dll over tho country. ,;.:! ■■■■■ .The .Minister , referred'■. to. the ;JoqTiests niado by a previous deputation, which, had sot forth the requirements of tho Weirarapa, andstatod -that oftoot had been given to almost every one of. its proposal, oxcept that ■of'an .extra train, i J £feo Wairarftpfl, which teaoilj beloßgei \H

the main line from Napier to Wellington, had now become more o local service than a main, service, as the Napier moil train has been diverted over the Manawatu line, In forming a time-table for a district that was being out out, the Department wanted to grant • the utmost facilities while conserving the public interest by. not running unnecessary trains. He would give them the figures for the last twoyeara' haulage over, the Wairarapa line, and also the figures for the last Si weeks, compared with the previous 21 weeks, and, he would ask them as business men if the Department would be justified with a etcadily falling. revenue to; continue" running trains at. the same expense as formerly. The present train service was far in excess of what was required to deal with , the traffic, and the extent to which the circumstances of the line had altered in the last two years was shown by the altered figures. In. quoting figures of the tonnage hauled over the Rimutaka incline ho wished :to point out that' the Department l had not attempted to divert any part of the trade from the Eimutaka so far at all. It might be a question soon whether it .would not pay, the Department to take everything from Ekotahnna over, the other way. That was an open question yet. The- Department wanted to get experience of the present funning under the now time-table. ', '

. . Falling-Off in Hatrfage.. It cost 3s. 3d.-a mile for haulage over the Eimutaka incline, , and Iβ. 3d. by the other line. For the week ending November SO, 1907, the tonnage hauled over the Rimutaka incline was 11,357. For the week ended November 30, 1908, it was 9311, and for- the corresponding week of 1909 it was 4814—a little more than a third of what it was two years before. For the year ended November 30; 1908, . the tonnage carried over the Rimutakas was 445,283, and for the following year 291,067, a decrease of 151216. For,the first 24 weeks of 1009, the tonnage hauled was'lßs,B7l, and. for' the: last 24 weeks 105494, a: decrease of 80,677.. They now came down approximately to the pure Wairarapa trade,-because the other trade was being carried over the other line. ' How could ho possibly run trains when theie was no' stuff to'carry? ■ \ '' . ,'■ '' A member of the deputation suggested that the comparison'for periods of 24 weeks .was a comparison between summer and wiiiter periods.. , ' In reply to Mr. -Hogg, the 'Minister' agreed that the falling-off in-tho haulage was because tho traffic between Napier and Wellington' had been diverted to the Manawatu '. line. There' would be a 'further shrinkage when the mril tram.was diverted. ■ ••:

\ ' Wanted: An.Earlier Train, , ■!'-Mr. Lousby asked if it'would not bo better to rearrange the service- to provide an earlier .train." ' ; '■ • '■'.■' " ".■■•''■■■'' '. ' ■ The Ifinister said that if'the train was'tp run through to Ekotahuna, it would be necessary "to provide a stable there for the engines,' which"would require a fairly large expenditure. Secondly; it would be necessary to carry a big coal reserve. The revenue would-hove to be £6 Is.; for every train that ran each way to pay the working expenses alone.' From thd. figures suppHed tonim; that was far more than the'railway was earning , :from the'Ek'etahuua trade. To run that bam every morning andback again would cost iOTO per annum. .;; ' Making the Railways Pay. ■ Only two things' would make the'''railways pay: they could reduce the number''H■ trains, or put lip fares. He was trying; to' Seep down any increase of rates on the products of the colony, whioh .had to go into the cheap markets' of the .world. H 'the railwaye :I were to .pay, unproduciive trains conld not be run. He could not run a train to allow,half-a-dozen men to' v get their letters replied: to; the same day; The argument of the school children was a Btrong one, and one that affected him, but most of the school'children were carried free. He would like, to know how manr children' were carried, and wheTe they were from. It was stated'that one Trapil came to Masterton from Kaitoke, seven from Featherston, and others from other places. Next year there would bo twelve from Featherston; Figures weifo also given in regard to. the Cartorton High School.i ■:■■'■■■ ~'■■■', ; . ,'■■• •"■;■■ "., : "..-■■'.,-• ,Further Traffic. Comparisons;. ; • Mr. 'Millar stated 'that! from , November-1, , 1907, till,.April. 30, ISP9, the tonnage hauled over the line was considerably over a thousand tons a dayi' The highest total, for .'one day. was 2277 tons, and for a week 11,596 tons. From April. I till now there had been only nine daye.on which the' tonnage had run.into four figures. The highest day's, total had been 1U099 tons, and 'the lowest : 504- 'tone,' while the highest week'-e , total 'had beoni;. 5742- tons.', The trade was not there!;.: He had tried'to, keep, up the local, trains and; "give the" best possible connections,- but; he did-hot want to' run trains that were not likely'to make, money. ,- ' In the lambing season, andi at other special ■ times, special trains would be run, as formerly, to clear the lino.. The. imore. trade it could ;dtvort from a line which- was costing so much, the better it .would be for the Railway Department. Itwould not pay, however, to divert trejEc from Mow Bkefahuna. "It is your mistartunoi" said the Minister, "that the Rimntaka was ever. formed." • ' -•"■-■ -'-.'. •; .'•,' Mr,. Buchanan Not \ Convinced. . Mr. Buchanan asked how it was that, with a great increase of. population and undoubtedly, a bigger traffic on the line 'in all but, timber, the railway traffic of the Wairarapa could not [ be made to pay now as it undoubtedly'did during tho time, immediately preceding the connection with Woodvillo and Napier. The Minister replied that the cost of work-' ing- the railways .was much less fourteen or 'fifteen years ago: ■ That was the case with regard to wages, and. , the cost iof materials used. ; I 1 was impossible.tQ ruii the' railways now at tho. same rate as then; Last year alone.. the increase in the wagee of railway servants totalled: £147,000, and that was the' third or fourth ■ increase. Charges had been reduced since the time. , - referred to/ and ■ working 'expenses had' .gone- up.. ■'• ' -''.'' -.'-. , ' .. . Mr.: Buchanan, pointed' out", that. Tjhen the previous deputation.-.waited on the ..Minister,, they did not contemplate changea'.'.in every direction that had'teen, made'since then'. An effort should shift the trains time-table that' wou!d : suit, the district; without increasing their number; Ho wanted the Minister to' go carefully himsßlf into the receipts and expenditure of the Wairarapa line, because it was'difficult to convince him that a line wliich hod borne such-a favourable .(.•omparison with; any'oilier in the Dominion was now going to recede as much as the Department's figures indicated. .He had .seen again and again. what a good case the Department'could make out in support .of a. course which it had previoasly determined on!' The Minister said that if ho ; oould put on a.motorHcar, which would.run over -the line at.a cheap cost, he would soon, givo them the efternoon train.'" ' ■• '.;■'■'< Mr. Hogg stated that, if the train to Eketahuna and back in one. day could be started lhat would make np, he thought, for all their deprivations. ■' •-.-•■ .' .' . The deputation thanked the.Minister for his hearing of their requirements and reply. ■I t\- DEPUTATION FROM TARANAKI. ' ■' ,' A STEONQ PSOTEST. : : The delay of 1 hour and 20 minutes in tho arrival of tho: mail train •at New Plymouth under the new tinie-tablo was the subject of protest by a largo deputation representing local bodies between Hawera and New Plymouth to the Hon. J. A. Millar (Minister for Railways) yestorday. . • . v> The deputation consisted of the following:— Messrs. G. Tisch (Mayor of New Plymouth), J. Connett and R. Cook,, representing a public meeting at New Plymouth; Messrs. W. Penn, E. Griffiths, Newton King, and C. Burgess (New Plymouih Chamber of Commerce); Mr. Bellringer; (New; Plymouth Employers', Association); Mr. Sangster (Stratford Borongh Council). Letters in support of the protest were sent by the Waitara Borough. Council, Taranaki County Council, Stratford County .Council, Eltham 'Borough Council, . Inglewood Borough Council, and, Fitzroy Town Board. The deputation was introduced by Mr. J. H.' Okey, M.P., and supported by the Hon. O. Samuel, M.L.C-, .and Messrs.- B, Dive, and J. B.Hine, M.P.'s. - ' ' .

■ It wae stated' that. the I district ■ between Hawera and New Plymouth was more thickly populated than any other, portion, of the Do-" minion, also that the lino was one.of the.,best paying in New Zealand. Exception to the. lateness of the hour; at which it was proposed the mail should now. arrive r at Now Plymouth —9.20 p.m., instead of 8 p.m.-rhad been taken by the Chamber .of Commerce Town . Council, Harbour Board, Employers' Association, and all tho other local bodies in that part of Taranaki which was affected. One of the results of. the proposed alteration would be that there would be only, two steamers instead of three between New Plymouth .and Onebunga every week, as there* woul i ,be, difficulty in discharging and lending up for the return journey wßhin the. short time .between trips. , It was thonght that •if tho requestcould not bo. fully •:■ acceded,, t0,,, tho :speed' of the train should be accelerated;■• botweoß Palmerston. North and, New :Plymouth.

The Minister: Says' it Cannot' be Altered.; .' TUo Ministor referred to the .'fact- ' that' through 'connection.' between various/centres had been ; requested by a conference of chambers of commerce sitting at PiUinCTstdn Northi The tteoiera 'at" that ronioMnco slalmed"to"

represent the Hawko's Bay, Wairarapa, Taranalu, and-Wellington districts. After the time-table had been altered, each of i the chambers of commerce now wanted it to suit their, own particular district,- As-a matter of fa"., the time-table could not be altered, as it Had been- printed, and copies had been sent: away to : Australia: and- other places. Formerly all. other lines had to work m witt theiNew Plymouth line, but now that the Mam Trunk line was the main line between Wellington and-Auckland, the New Plymouth, hne had to work in with it. He wanted, however, to meat the deputation in. some,way. It was impossible to cut out any. stations, but it might be possible to cut down the length of stay at a number of them. There was unduo alarm as to tho effect of the alteration so far as the poople of New Plymouth were concerned. He could not see that the proposed alteration wonld have any effect on the steamer service. The boats had from 9 o'clock m the morning till 3 o'clock in tho afternoon to coal; and in that time it would be quite easy to take 50 tons aboard. It was a question whether ho was to run the railways to.suit the Northern Steamship Company, or they were ,to run their steamers to suit the-railways. He had been asked to take into consideration the matter of the increase in imports and exports, but he wonld remind the deputation that the Harbour Board was trying to get the ships to If? there direct for which they- could not be blamed. Ihe time-table as altered would have to go for a month, but he would try to secure an amendment for the' January issue by cutting down sbme■ of the stops, as he had explained. He would also see if the train could be speeded up, but he did not know if much could bo done in that.direction, as ho was informed that it was now speeded, nearly jp to: the masimum. If the through connections were made as had been requested, some inconvenience would have to.be put up with. '. Subsequently tho Minister . inquired if it would do if the train reached New Plvmoutb at 8.45.. : ■" ■-

Mr. Okey:-8.30 would be better. The Minister: Well, we will seo if its arrival .can be secured for between 8.30 and 8.45. . ~.-'." ... :. ■■'■.•;

It , was then explained by tho Minister that tho main features of the new time-table wonld remain in force for eix months. The only objections so far received had been from Masterton and Eketahuna, .besides New Plymouth, but it was probablo objections might be received from Napier and Gisborne. '-.: One of the deputation remarked: I,would like to remind you that as a matter of fact the Chambers of Commerce Conference at Palmerston North had.no right to bind Taranaki. The Minister: But the various speakers stated that they had; . ..-■■'>■. .'